Culture, Culture, Culture

 Culture, Culture, culture surrounds me and my mind has been running like crazy. I wrote this post on Sunday, but it didn't get posted, so pretend that the date says September and not already October:)

Last weekend I enjoyed some fun times with many new friends. Friday night we took a trip to Jazz Night at the High Art Museum. It took me a while to become acclimatized to the very modern jazz accompanying the classic 18-19th century art. What an overload to the senses! The next day we visited the Puppet museum in downtown Atlanta. They have a lot of Jim Henson's puppets, including this amazingly detailed puppet(should I still use such a passive word?) used in Dark Crystal. I thought it was scary in the movie, but close up he looks even more real. Plus he had a really cool sword.

This weekend seemed a little more low key, since we all stayed in on Friday to watch the debate. Last night, though, I went out with some of my new Korean friends to a Chinese restaurant, and wow, we ate such amazing food. My other non-Korean friend and I didn't really know what we were ordering, so our friend Teddy took control. I'll tell you, he can order for me any day! The soup we had was spicy in just the right way, mild at first and warmer throughout the dish, always enhancing the food and not inhibiting the taste. Afterwards we followed with a Korean tradition of going for the "Round 2," meaning that you go for dessert or coffee in some other place. We ended up going for some wine and had nice discussions about our lives and theology.

We have quite a few Korean-American students; some of them immigrated at a young age and others were born here, identifying with both cultures. I enjoy talking with them about their culture, meaning Korean history as well as the history of Korean Christians. Most of my Korean classmates work part-time(almost like full time) as youth pastors in one of the many Korean Presbyterian Churches in Atlanta. From what I understand their worship services can be pretty intense, and their contemporary services tend to be cutting edge. For the Christian Korean Community church takes a dominant place in their lives. Every morning, they take a special time of prayer. The Asian Student Organization on campus even started a morning prayer service in light of this spiritual discipline. I've been going on a regular basis, and we meet every weekday morning from 6:30-7:40 or so, having a Psalm reading, some singing, someone shares a short devotional, and then intercessory prayer. My friend Daniel describes the prayer time as a "symphony of prayer," because everyone is praying at once, some outloud and some silently, with meditative music in the background.
The first week found me exhausted from praying so intensely and so repeatedly, but now I find myself praying and praying continuously, and I even feel more comfortable praying aloud in groups. One of my favorite things about the morning prayer time is the routine and continuous practice of putting God and others first in my day. Many different people feel called to come and pray; although the idea comes from the Korean tradition, these meetings are all inclusive and people from all walks of life come to pray for our campus, our community, and the world. Again it's the wonderful way of how sharing your own culture or experiencing another's can change your own way of life and challenge you.

If you have any prayers you would like us to pray about, email me, and we'll pray for you. Maybe you feel strange with me making this offer or with the idea of strange people you don't know praying for you. Either way, you don't have to accept the offer, I just felt called to lay it out there.

So, I hope you have a great day and that maybe you too will have the chance to experience the habits of someone around you and be challenged to see the world through their eyes.

I made it!

 I just survived my first week of classes at Columbia Theological Seminary and I'm heading into another one. We've already had two quizzes in Hebrew, plus for my Wednesday class we're preparing a group presentation. I'm so excited about all of my classes. Old Testament has turned out to be more than a bible study, more than a history class, something more like Bible enrichment and history of theology. For my first elective I chose a seminar on worship and music. I'm excited about the way we will look at the history of worship in the church and how to find direction for churches in today's world--I know sounds right up my alley, huh? The best part though is that we have to do a project and write a paper, both of which scare me a little bit, but at the same time I was hoping one semester during my studies here to take an independent study in worship to do just this, and now I will be able to do it for a class with the help of others and then present it to people who could possibly use it. My other elective, another seminar, takes a look at the possible ways that a church can take on "public ministry." The professors presented an interesting syllabus to us, showing how we will learn about theory and then have to apply it to a congregation which we will study. I can't tell you how blessed I feel to be passionate about everything I'm studying. Discovering the meanings of Hebrew words and their double or sometimes multiple meanings, learning to read and asses the strength of activities in an average church congregation, being forced to think about theology and worship and God's abounding grace and love as I drink everything in from the wonder surrounding me.
 And yet that's only looking at my academic life. For the last two years, socializing always felt like work; some cultural or language barriers inhibited either myself or my friends. The "work" of friendship never feels wasted and becomes very gratifying, but still, it's always hard. So here I am, living on campus in the building in these pictures with several of the other students in my classes and in the community of roughly 300 students. We eat together, laugh together, study together, and pray together. I've been attending a 6:30am prayer service M-F, MTThF we have worship at 10am followed by fellowship and coffee at 10:30. You all know me and how I love routine and especially eating and waking at the same time. I've been eating with my friends in the refectory(shown here, no,that's not a foto from HP), whether I enjoy their good meals or bring my own, we enjoy each other's company and get to know new people. Wednesday night we had an awesome semi-spontaneous improvisation class lead by some of my fellow seminarians. Imagine "Who's line" where all ten of us were just getting up and taking turns in the game. Incredible, my friends are Hilarious! Plus, I will be part of a woman's bible study and an "intentional community"--something like a bible study, but God's blessings abound everywhere in my life. I could not ask for more.

On my way

 
Today I left with my parents and all of my things, heading to Decatur, GA. For the last month I’ve been preparing for seminary, unpacking and repacking all of my things, and visiting with friends. First I spent a little over a week in Madison, celebrating with my friends Jason and Joanna Cree during their week of wedding activities and the final big day. While there, I got to visit my Madison church, Christ Presbyterian, and participate in the worship again. It was so fun to see everyone again, and remember what a blast I had in Madison, and everything that inspired and prepared me for the roads I’ve been traveling for the last few years and the one I’m on as we speak.

 Next I came back to Ponca, to share my experiences with my church family there and hang out with my parents...oh, yeah, and pack up everything that I left at home. The first few days were so weird; it threw me completely off balance. You know, you can try to prepare yourself for reverse culture shock, but it’s so hard to know what to expect, to know what will “shock” you. There were so many little things that I couldn’t do like I wanted, for instance fixing my green tea and showering. I think my mind just couldn’t deal with the fact that I felt like a stranger in my own bedroom, in my own home, a guest in my parent’s house. On Thursday evening I gave an American version of a presentation that I prepared for Polička entitled “My Czech Culture Shock; the experiences of an American lady in the highlands.” I enjoyed talking about my friends and the Czech way of life, something I understood at that moment more than my old way of life.

After getting my fill of hamburgers, Taco Bell, and real Mexican, I found that I no longer have a taste for the same foods I used to love. In fact I never had a Chicken Fried Steak while I was in Oklahoma, because the thought of one, even now, makes me cringe. Believe it or not the thought of any beef makes me loose my appetite(for those of you who don’t live in Oklahoma, you should realize that despising steaks and hamburgers is equal to cursing or lusting in a Catholic church, you might just get sent to hell for having those thoughts). One day for lunch I even chose a soup and salad over a Philly steak sandwich. Shocking I know...what was I thinking...I think I’m becoming a vegetarian, so I guess it’s a good thing that I’m moving to the big city of Atlanta. I still eat chicken, but I like it less and less everyday. I think it’s because we just cook with different cuts of meat, heavily processed from animals full of steroids. Maybe I’m wrong, but I have a feeling I’m not.
So, tonight we’re staying in Memphis, and tomorrow we’ll finish the drive to Decatur. Keep me in your prayers as I go through more culture shocks and emotional growth spurts over the next week as I get all settled and start classes.
Also don’t forget to stay tuned in to Radost(click here), Jeremy and Jamie’s blog, as they have returned from their excursion across Europe and have been gathering their ideas to get started with classes in Polička. Everything’s just beginning!

Notes from leaving

So today I’m heading to Madison to see my friends Jason and Joanna get married, the Oklahomans are heading out towards Wichita, KS, and Jamie and Jeremy are heading through Germany on their mini tour of Europe before classes start(just like I did with Jacque and our friend Sarah Holstedt). This morning as I rode in my taxi, it took me past the Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, one last time, right at the perfect moment of sunrise when everything has a nice rosy color. I couldn’t believe my luck in getting to take a nice last pass through the city I love, with the glimpses of all the places I adore. It was painful to say goodbye to Pastor Jan as I got in my taxi and even harder as we drove away, but as I gathered my memories while looking at the sunrise, I was filled with thanksgiving for two AWESOME years. When I think of how my life and the lives of these kids would have been different, I no longer regret the pain which still exists in my hands.

Friday:Final day of class and weekend events click here to view

I’ve decided to keep posting on this blog throughout seminary and maybe even beyond that. What started inside me in Polička will stay with me and my next journey is only a continuation of the first. Please keep this site in your bookmarks I previously had started a second blog called Ještě něco, and I think I will use that as a way to let my Czech friends know about my new experiences, and keep up my Czech. Můžeš tam se pojdivat a upravit můj čestinu. Ještě nemám něco tam, ale budu.
Here’s the final group of pictures that I didn’t get to post the other night. A selection from the last day of camp, Friday night garden/church party, Saturday Day, and Sunday morning’s worship. Like I mentioned in my last newsletter, I’m empowered by the fact that as I finish this glass of wine, another is being poured. Jamie, Jeremy, and I are all recieving the fruits of new wine, and enjoying the sweetness along with the freshness. We may not know how this new cup will taste, but we’re excited to see what it’s like. Please have patience with them while they are traveling, and they’ll be in contact with you all towards the end of August or the beginning of September, with their newsletter.
Praise be to God for his guidence, patience, and faithfulness. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragements this week. We’ll be in touch. Until next time...za tím.

Friday to Monday: Exiting the door.

I apologize for the lack of posting in the last few days. I have been emotionally and physically exhausted. Leaving Polička turned out to be every bit as difficult as I imagined it to be, but I survived and I know the friends I’m leaving behind will as well. During the camp on Friday, we talked about exits—leaving and what it is like to move on to another culture. We sang Pharaoh, Pharaoh, as we learned about how Moses took the Hebrew people out of Egypt. I was invited as the guest for the day and it was an incredible way to say goodbye to my students and answer any last minute questions they had. The camp came to a close with farewells and exchanges of emails, but the fun didn’t end there.

Starting in the afternoon, we had our annual garden party. This year turned out to be a bit different from the rest. It began in a similar way, with the men huddled around the roasting pig, and our performers making last minute preparations. Our Band had equipment set up outside for the performance and some of our volunteers were prepared to dance on the bare ground. We got through the first few musical performances and the first two rounds of meat, when the rain began to fall. We all headed into the church for shelter and continued the rest of the party inside the church. So, yes, food and drinks inside the sanctuary with some kind of program which definitely didn’t feel like the normal activity in our place of worship. In fact a lot of it felt like chaos to me. Maybe it’s because I’m used to programs inside the sanctuary having a focus and following a formal flow of events, and this was everything but that. Amazingly enough, however, after dancing energizers and singing silly songs, by the end of the night we were all sitting in the sanctuary together having a time of community, focused on friendship and love. So the question could still stand if it turned out to be a worship of some sorts, as we recognized the ways we have been connected over the years through the love of God. If you want to see some pictures of Friday’s party and some videos of Jacque and me singing, check out this link to our area paper: SvitavskyDenik. There are two choices: to view photos or video, and you can select the pictures or use the arrows.

On Saturday we visited some caves and then some vineyards in Moravia (Southeastern Czech Republic). More fun times to strengthen our bonds of friendship. Sunday provided more time for saying Goodbye, as we had our closing worship. This year, I feel like I wasn’t surprised to see so many volunteers attending the worship, because they had been attending our devotionals all week. We all know the same worship songs now, and I think they have a better idea of what it means to meet with friends and talk about God. In previous years, I felt like Sunday was kind of like the final party, but this time, I also felt like it was just the continuation of the party that had started 8 days before, when we met in the same room to get to know one another.

The community we experienced this week again makes me so excited that we have these camps. Everyday we came together, as brothers and sisters and grew in our relationships with each other, and some in their relationships with God. We have always been very careful not to speak about Jesus(aka evangelize) during class time of the camp, because we feel like this is backhanded and deceitful by “tricking” them into showing up for a bible study. So this year we had a special time for reflection and discussion about Jesus and God, and people came. More than just coming out of curiosity, they came every day of the week.

I want to take this space to thank all of you for following along this week and these past two years our ministry on this website. I will be still posting from time to time on this website, but as of next month Jeremy and Jamie will be making new posts about their coming activities and classes with the kids. Leaving would be so difficult for me, if I didn’t know Jeremy and Jamie would be continuing my work. This week we’ve been fortunate enough to spend lots of time with each other, and I feel so great about passing my work on to these talented individuals. They’re already speaking a good bit of Czech and learning how to communicate, plus that have so many great ideas for this year. I’m going to miss Policka, but I really can’t wait to see what they have in store for this community. So thank you, I’ve had a blast sharing my experiences with you and I hope you enjoy hearing about the continuation of this ministry with Jeremy and Jamie.

Follow the arrows

    So, yesterday I missed the daily blog post. Wednesday is always the most stressful, but once it’s over, it’s all down hill from there. Our morning scripture focused on the story of Mary and Martha, reminding us that as we go through this day full of tasks and activities, we should take the time to sit and listen to our friends. In the evening, Cerna Ovce, our band from the church, presented our Pokec(Chat Show) with Ann and me as their guests. They asked some great questions like, “Ann, was Kati a good daughter?” and “Kati, do you think that you have any qualities like your mom?” Oh, there were some good stories told in answer to these questions, but I’m afraid that they might be too personal to put on the internet
There was a great crowd, and I think what shocked me the most was that there were even people who would NEVER come Sunday morning to church. Sure we have a devoted group of volunteers that come on both Sunday’s(and have been coming every morning to the devotion), but there are still some people that I know feel strange about coming to a worship service. This chat show has a form which is a bit more acceptable.
Then last night, several helpers, my sister and I prepared the event for today: šipkovaná-The Arrow Hunt. The children have been learning from the Americans all week, so today we swapped the rolls and had a scavenger hunt through the city of Policka to teach the Americans about Czech culture. Each team followed arrows to special sites in Policka, for instance the park, the town hall, the Catholic church, and the Brewery. We had 10 stations and the Czech volunteers provided the task at each one. The whole thing was pretty demanding, lots of walking and complicated routes, but everyone had fun and got to spend some personal time with the Americans. Even those who got lost had a great time finding their routes and completing their tasks. Needless to say, we were all ready for the great lunch that awaited us today-pork, sauerkraut and potato dumplings.
This afternoon we took a trip to Zelená hora, a beautiful church with a mix of baroque and gothic architecture. Again the afternoon trips are special for us, because it’s time we spend with our friends, old and new. We have met so many people this week and heard many new experiences as we learn about life in the Czech Republic and the history of these people. I think we will all come out of this week with changed hearts and minds. It amazes me how every year we have done this, each time feels new, and every year brings surprises and blessings. ONE more day of camp and then the GARDEN PARTY!

sipkovana:the Arrow Game

No more first day jitters, no more first day novelties.

    Today we were full on into the stream of class time and work. Again, most of the same people from yesterday showed up for our reflection time and we even had a few new people. We’ve been singing in Czech and in English and I think it helps us all feel on the same page, a bit awkward but together in front of our grace giving God. We opened with the story of Zacchaeus, the outsider which Jesus called to come and follow him. We talked about how we have a special time this week to call to the outsiders and include them into our groups. Some of the Americans also pointed out how difficult it must have been for Zacchaeus to leave the safe and secluded tree and come join Jesus and his followers in front of all of the others. Joy told us how the story made her think of our Czech friends who haven't stayed hidden in the tree, but have come down from their hiding place and taken part in the action. I can’t tell you how impressed I was when so many Czechs showed up for the second day of the devotion. I don’t know if I would say there are more Czechs than Americans, but there definitely is about an equal number, making the half an hour less of sleep worth it for all of us.
We continued into the second day of camp focusing on the theme of what it feels like to be closed out of society, an outsider cast out by society. The skit showed how Moses tried to protect his Hebrew relatives, and ended up killing an Egyptian. Instead of winning the friendship of his people, they regretted what he did and refused to call him one of their own. Yet at the same time, the Pharaoh had heard of Moses’ actions and wanted to kill him as well. Moses was forced to leave his home, his heroic actions resulting in his rejection. We were very fortunate today to welcome a guest for our “Door Experience Room,” Ondrej Kovac, a pastor in our denomination who has conquered several obstacles despite his blindness and Roma ethnicity. The kids got to ask questions and had quite a few of them. We heard about his wife and kids and how he lives like a normal person, how people help him on the street, and how he can use the computer and internet with his special program which reads aloud what he types. One very interesting thing for me was listening to him talk about how he interacts with his children. Since he cannot read books to his children, they sit together with the book, his son describes what is on the page, and he makes up stories to go with the pictures. He talked about the importance of imagination and imagery when you live with blindness.
I think today we all had a lot of personal time with the kids and volunteers. We’re starting to learn names and building more friendships. I think we’re already starting to get a bit tired, but we’re really excited to be getting to know these kids! Enjoy the pictures below! You'll see some fight shots, Engergizers, Dodge Ball, Craft time, Snacks, and discussion time.

Tuesday: Day 2 of English Camp Click here to see pictures